


Late to the Party

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Series: Merlin Prompts [19]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Confused Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Crack, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Gen, LGBTQ Themes, Lake of Avalon, Lesbian Morgana (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana Friendship (Merlin), Merlin is a Little Shit, Piercings, Resurrection, Tattoos, idek what this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24142954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: Merlin's been waiting for over a thousand years, so trust him to be late when Arthur does come back
Series: Merlin Prompts [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706692
Comments: 39
Kudos: 478





	Late to the Party

**Author's Note:**

> So my friend asked for this fic, I don't even know what it is anymore

‘We wait.’ Arthur stated, like he had done yesterday, and the day before that. He could tell his men were beginning to doubt, but Arthur did not. He had faith, he HAD to have faith, otherwise there would be nothing left.

‘He might not be coming, Sire.’ Elyan slowly said, like he feared Arthur’s anger. But the King wasn’t angry, he was patient, looked back to his five Knights, then to the Lake of Avalon, and the trees surrounding it.

‘We wait for Merlin.’ They did as he had said, sat back down like they had all the time in the world. All Arthur knew was that he’d been in pain, so much pain, with Merlin cradling his body and tears in the sorcerer’s eyes. Then he woke up in the Lake, spluttering up water and dragging himself out, armour and sword gone, dressed in a tunic and breeches. He was not the only one to almost drown, his five Knights had all come up and gasped for air, and now they were here.

Here being approximately eight paces from the edge of the Lake, where Arthur had sat down and decided that he would wait for Merlin to appear, and tell him what in all of Albion was going on.

The sun was at its highest point when the creature appeared, a hunting dog that looked… well, not like a hunter. It was a cute thing, a golden colour with a tail that wagged happily, trotting across to him and beginning to lick his hands. The Knights all cooed, happy to see a creature, while a voice rang out.

‘Hey! This is private property! Bones! What have I told you about running up to strangers, they might not…’ Arthur looked up to the person speaking, all his sense draining when he caught sight of Merlin.

Because there was no doubting that it was Merlin. The blue eyes were the same, the sharp cheekbones and the dark hair. It was slightly longer, had more volume to it, as Gwen might have described, and his jawline was lined with stubble.

But that wasn’t what Arthur was staring at. No, there was a ring on Merlin’s lip, some piercings on his ears that Arthur was confused about. A streak of blue in his hair, like the colour of the ocean.

And then there were the clothes. A shirt that was a ridiculously bright pink, with what looked like small plants on it. Shorts, actual shorts, that showed off long legs with ink crawling up the side of one leg, and shoes that had no top to them. He had on a selection of bracelets, although they looked to be made of leather, and he had a drink in his hand. Something pink.

‘Fuck. Fucking hell. Shit. Arthur?!’ The swear words were so unlike Merlin, that the King actually recoiled. This Merlin was… not his Merlin. But then the manservant was running for him, shoving the drink to Elyan who just about managed not to spill it, and threw his arms around Arthur’s neck.

He smelt of strawberries, the idiot, and his hair tickled Arthur’s nose. He was more-built than he had been when they had last hugged, solid to hold, and when he stepped back, Arthur got a proper look at him. More ink, peeking out from under the edge of the shirt.

‘Oi!’ Gwaine remarked, and Merlin laughed, pulled him in for a hug and that lasted longer. Lancelot was next, the two had always been close, and Arthur watched the way each Knight brightened as Merlin moved between them. Finally, once he’d hugged each one of them and reclaimed his drink, he had to laugh.

And kept laughing, until Arthur rose an eyebrow at him and waited for an explanation.

‘I was in Hawaii! To think, I take a vacation and you come bumbling out of the Lake!’ He didn’t know where Hawaii was, but he understood the fact that Merlin had taken a vacation.

‘Trust you to be late.’ Arthur joked, feeling very much confused, slightly hungry, and also cold now that the sun was setting again. Shock was wearing off, now that Merlin was back, even if he looked rather… bizarre.

‘Late! How many days have you been here?’ Merlin exclaimed, wiping tears from his eyes while the dog of his ran around his ankles.

‘This is our third day.’ Arthur remarked, only for Merlin to wheeze back more laughter, clutching at his stomach.

‘Oh, Morgana’s going to have a field day with this one.’ Everything went still, heads snapping to the Warlock, who looked between them.

‘Ah, right, slightly shocked at that. Do you guys have any idea how long you’ve been dead?’ He said it so bluntly, that Arthur rocked back. He looked to his men, who looked just as lost as he was feeling, before looking to Merlin. Merlin, who was giving Arthur a sad smile.

‘Welcome to the future. Over a thousand years have passed since you died, and… well. You’re going to love it.’

**

Morgana had been expecting Merlin to return from Hawaii, but instead the idiot had taken the dog for a run in the forest, so she was left to wait. In all fairness, she’d been in London for Pride Month, despite Merlin telling her she should wait for them to go to one together.

When Bones finally came running in, Morgana grinned, patted the good boy and then walked to find her housemate, who was standing outside their log cabin with…

Arthur. She froze, her feet not getting the message and she tumbled down the steps, narrowly managed to land and stared in shock at her half-brother.

‘Arthur!’ He was staring right back, open-mouthed and confused, and she beamed. Ran across, halting when she remembered the last time they met she had tried to kill him, and fought to keep her excitement down.

‘Oh I knew I should have gone to the Lake! How long have you been here?’ Arthur’s mouth opened, then fell shut, and she looked to Merlin. The man was holding a glass of what she had to assume was that ridiculous spritz he was obsessed with, probably with a little vodka in it, and she’d lecture him on day-drinking later. Or maybe join him.

‘What are you wearing!’ Was eventually what Arthur said, no, shouted. She blinked, looked down, and then realised he had a point. Ripped denim shorts, her lace-up boots and a t-shirt that said “Say Hey if You’re Gay” probably wasn’t the look she’d have gone for, had she know that her brother would be coming back from the dead.

Combined with her tattoos that matched Merlin’s, and her striped pink and black hair, straightened, she had to look quite odd to him.

‘Clothes. Welcome to the future! Should I get us some drinks?’

**

Gwaine hit the wall on his first attempt, much to everyone’s amusement. The second time, he managed to go all the way down the corridor. Now, he was having great fun racing Lancelot, who had stolen Merlin’s own pair of Heelys, the two of them fighting to get across the room first. The others were much more confused about their current position, the future was evidently a very scary thing for them.

Merlin understood, he did. To come back to this, it had to be very frightening. Arthur was watching the light like it was Magic, staring at the photos that Morgana showed him of the two of them throughout the years, some of Morgana with her girlfriends, some of the two of them, the one on the day they adopted Bones.

A victorious shout from Gwaine, who came into the room, rolling on the shoes with a smirk. Merlin found both Gwaine and Lancelot’s ambitious attempts to understand the future admirable, like now, Gwaine making grabby hands to the lollypop that Merlin was sucking on. He shrugged, summoned another one and handed it across, watched him unwrap it and shove it into his mouth.

‘So, that isn’t Magic?’ Arthur pointed to the light, and Morgana shook her head.

‘Nope, most things are just modern technology. Like the shoes…’ Lancelot hit the coffee table, almost knocking over Gwaine, who pouted and dropped his lollypop,

‘Lights, the TV in the corner.’ Arthur nodded along, looked between them, and then gestured to the ink.

‘Tattoos. We’ve mostly got matching ones, but I’ve got a Pride Flag on my hip,’ Morgana shoved her shorts down enough to show them, while the Knights were torn between staring, and averting their eyes,

‘And Merlin’s got a Dragon. The location, well, you’ll have to find out.’ She winked, while the Warlock just rolled his eyes.

‘Pride flag?’ Gwaine inquired, having reclaimed his lolly and deeming it edible, Morgana grinning.

‘Gay people. Buggering, as you’d call it. Guy on guy, girl on girl, so many possibilities.’ Arthur blanched, Gwaine looked pleased, and the others just looked curious.

‘That explains the shirt.’ Gwaine concluded, and Morgana grinned.

‘Trust me, the future is going to suit you perfectly.’ Of all the friendships that could form, Merlin could see that one being the most chaotic.

**

‘WHAT DID YOU DO?!’ Merlin screeched, laughing as he saw Gwaine’s green-streak in his hair, and the tie-dye shirt he was wearing. Morgana stood behind him, looking awfully proud, and gestured to him.

‘He’s my new gay friend.’ Morgana explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Merlin looked over Gwaine, decided he was relatively unharmed by Morgana’s attempts to modernise him, and relaxed.

‘If you think that’s bad,’ Gwaine began, teasing him with the tone,

‘You should see what I did to the others.’ Morgana finished, and Merlin heard Lancelot calling for them from the direction of Morgana’s room.

‘This is… insane.’

**

‘Percival leave the lamp alone.’ The man froze, flicked it off and on once more, before he returned to the sofa. Both Morgana and Merlin had spent many times trying to explain the TV, which they were now sitting in front of, pizza boxes littering the floor. Arthur was on one of the sofas, feet kicked up, playing on Merlin’s old DS that he was obsessed with.

Lancelot and Gwaine were sitting either side of Merlin, Gwaine’s legs over Merlin’s lap, and Lancelot’s hand resting on his thigh.

Morgana was on the floor, sprawled out on one of the beanbags, shoving yet another slice of pizza in her mouth.

‘She’s so hot.’ She mumbled around it, while on screen, Harley Quinn took out yet another one of the ugly creatures with nothing more than her bare hands, Merlin snorting with laughter.

‘Only you would be attracted to a psychopath.’ He teased, watched her flip him the bird, before returning to the pizza.

‘And this isn’t real?’ Elyan asked, eating his Hawaiian pizza happily, even if they’d all had fun flicking pineapple at him earlier on.

‘Oh yeah. Totally happened.’ Morgana bragged, while Elyan looked back to him, and Merlin shook his head fondly.

‘Fake. Although Morgana wouldn’t mind a piece of Harley.’ She rolled her eyes, threw a piece of pepperoni at him, then went back to watching the screen.

A dysfunctional family, but a family, no less.


End file.
